For many years, the federal government has placed an imaginary, complex “cost of carbon” on greenhouse gas emissions when trying to formulate regulations on sources of those emissions like oil and gas drilling and automobiles.

When the Biden administration took office, the “cost” was raised above what the previous administration had used. Several states whose economy relies heavily on fossil fuels sued, and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals recently rejected those lawsuits (AP, “Biden ‘cost of carbon’ policy survives another legal hurdle,” April 14).

Here’s a better solution. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 2307, 96 co-sponsors in the House) would place an increasing fee, starting at $15 per ton, on greenhouse gas emissions as they are generated at the source (mine, well, port of entry), collect the revenue, and return it to all Americans as a monthly dividend check. It’s money in our pockets, government doesn’t grow, and thousands of people don’t die from airborne and waterborne pollutants.

We are in a time of global inflation caused by pent-up demand following a years-long pandemic and a supply that cannot match that demand. In the case of pain at the gasoline pump, the government is trying to alleviate the problem by increasing the supply when the damage we are causing to our planet should point us to reducing demand.

The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has told us that humanity is nearly out of time to keep our planet from overheating and becoming uninhabitable. The IPCC recommends a “price on carbon” as the most effective way to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

We must follow the science if our children and grandchildren are to live in relative comfort. The climate crisis is here now. Tell Congress to act.

Bruce Cooper, group leader of the Slippery Rock chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby